METHOD OF REMOVING A CARTRIDGE
Provided is a method of removing a cartridge, that is to be removed, that is housed in a deep side of a cell and stuck on a wall surface of the cell without increasing the number of components. In order to remove the cartridge stuck on the wall surface of the cell, the method includes a pressing step and a releasing step. In the pressing step, a picker mechanism is abutted on a latch lever, and then moved so as to move the latch lever from an engaged position to a released position. This presses the latch lever to increase the urging force of the urging unit. In the releasing step, after the pressing step, the picker mechanism is moved away from the cell to release the urging force of the latch lever spring.
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The present invention relates to a method of removing a cartridge in a library device that stores a plurality of cartridges such as magnetic tapes, magnetic disks, optical disks, or magneto-optical disks, selectively removes a desired cartridge from among those cartridges, and reads or writes data by using internal drive.
BACKGROUND ARTAs discussed in JP2005-209278A (hereinafter, Patent Document 1), there is known a library device (may also be referred to as a data storage system) that stores cartridges in a plurality of cells of a magazine, selectively removes a desired cartridge among those cartridges, and reads or writes data by using a drive.
As shown in
Each one of cells 1300 used in the library device can house a plurality of cells in a row.
However, in the case of the cell that can house the plurality of cartridges, due to an assembling error or aged deterioration of the cell or the cartridges, a cartridge housed in a deep side of the cell may be caught on a wall surface of the cell. As a result, the cartridge cannot be removed from the cell.
In anticipation of such an emergency, the library device can include a mechanism for ejecting the cartridge from the cell by, for example, thrusting out the cartridge. During a normal operation, however, the cartridge housed in the deep side of the cell is not caught on the wall surface of the cell. Thus, the addition of the ejection mechanism just for such an emergency is wasteful, and an increase in the number of components creates a problem of a cost increase.
Conventional Art Document Patent DocumentPatent Document 1: JP2005-209278A
Disclosure of the InventionAn object of the present invention is to provide a method of removing a cartridge, in which a cartridge can be removed without increasing the number of components, a cartridge housed in a deep side of a cell and stuck to a wall surface of the cell.
In order to achieve the object, the present invention provides a method of removing a cartridge in a library device. The library device includes: a cell that houses a plurality of cartridges in a row along a wall surface parallel to an insertion/ejection direction of the cartridges; a picker mechanism that moves away from the cell to remove the cartridges from the cell; a latch lever provided in the wall surface of the cell to be swingable between an engaged position for holding the cartridges in the cell by engaging with the cartridges and a released position where the engagement with the cartridges is released; and an urging unit that urges the latch lever from the released position to the engaged position. The method according to the present invention includes: a pressing step of pressing, by moving the picker mechanism to move the latch lever from the engaged position to the released position after the picker mechanism has abutted on the latch lever, the latch lever to increase an urging force of the urging unit; and a releasing step of releasing, after the pressing step, the urging force of the urging unit by moving the picker mechanism away from the cell.
According to the present invention, without increasing the number of components, the cartridge housed in the deep side of the cell and stuck on the wall surface of the cell can be removed.
Next, an embodiment of the present invention is described referring to the drawings.
The library device according to the exemplary embodiment includes magazine 200, drive 600, and accessor mechanism 400. Magazine 200 includes a plurality of cells 300 for housing cartridges 100. Drive 600 reads or writes data on a recording medium in cartridge 100. Accessor mechanism 400 transfers cartridge 100.
According to the exemplary embodiment, one magazine 200 and drive 600 are arranged adjacently to each other, and opening 305 of cell 300 housed in magazine 200 and opening 605 of drive 600 are set in the same direction.
(Accessor Mechanism)Accessor mechanism 400 is configured to be reciprocated by drive unit 401, and includes picker frame 510. Picker frame 510 includes picker mechanism 500 movable in a Y direction.
Drive unit 401 includes a motor and a driver gear train. A final gear of the drive gear train is engaged with rack 700 extended in an X direction. When the motor of drive unit 401 is driven to rotate reversely, accessor mechanism 400 reciprocates, by its driving force, on guide rail 457 in the X direction. A moving mechanism of accessor mechanism 400 in the X direction can include a combination of a well-known timing belt and a pulley as long as accurate positioning can be performed.
According to the exemplary embodiment, accessor mechanism 400 moves only in a horizontal direction. However, when magazine 200 is stacked to form a multistage magazine, a mechanism to enable a vertical movement is provided.
(Picker Mechanism)Picker mechanism 500 holds cartridge 100, and inserts or ejects cartridge 100 into or from magazine 200, cell 300, or drive 600. Accessor mechanism 400 including picker mechanism 500 can transfer, by such an operation, cartridge 100 between cell 300 and drive 600, between cells 300, or between drives 600.
Picker mechanism 500 includes box-shaped main body 501. Box-shaped main body 501 includes front face 543, first side face 541, second side face 542 located oppositely to first side face 541, and a rear face.
Picker arm 521 is provided in first side face 541 of a direction that intersects a horizontal-moving direction of accessor mechanism 400. Picker arm 521 is formed into a shape that extends from first side face 541 to front face 543, and has its leading edge bent toward second side face 542 beyond front face 543.
Second side face 542 functions, as described below, as ejection-time releasing unit 522 to push open latch lever 306 of cell 300. According to the exemplary embodiment, second side face 542 is used as ejection-time releasing unit 522. However, ejection-time releasing unit 522 can be separately provided on second side face 542 side.
Picker mechanism 500 houses picker drive motor 530 in main body 501. Picker drive motor 530 drives picker mechanism 500 in picker frame 510 in the Y direction.
Sensor shaft 550 extended from main body 501 is provided in front face 543. Sensor shaft 550 is a sensor for detecting whether cartridge 100 in cell 300 is in a predetermined position to be removed by picker mechanism 500. Sensor shaft 550 abuts, when picker mechanism 500 moves to a position to remove cartridge 100, on cartridge 100 that is to be pushed into main body 501, thereby detecting that cartridge 100 is in the predetermined position. On the other hand, when sensor shaft 550 is not pushed in even after picker mechanism 500 has moved to the position to remove cartridge 100, sensor shaft 550 detects that cartridge 100 is not in the predetermined position.
(Cell)
Cell 300 is a deep cell that can house two cartridges 100 in a longitudinal direction. As shown in
Cell 300 includes latch lever 306 and latch lever spring 307 on opening 305 side of second side wall 302 located oppositely to first side wall 301. First side wall 301 and second side wall 302 are provided in parallel to an insertion/ejection direction of cartridge 100. Latch lever 306 is provided to be swingable, by engaging with cartridge 100, between an engaged position B (see
Latch lever spring 307 is an urging unit that urges latch lever 306 from the released position A to the engaged position B. The exemplary embodiment shows the configuration where latch lever 306 and latch lever spring 307 are separately provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. As long as latch lever 306 has sufficient elasticity, the elasticity of latch lever 306 itself can be used as an urging unit.
Constant force spring 310 is a thin plate closely wound based on a fixed curvature and is used by linearly extending its outer end. Constant force spring 310 has characteristics in which a force is almost constant irrespective of strokes. In both of the case where one cartridge cell 100 is housed in cell 300 as shown in
(Cartridge)
Cartridge 100 is a recording medium for reading or writing data shared by computers (not shown) connected to the library device via a communication line such as a local area network (LAN) or Internet. As such a recording medium, for example, there are a tape medium such as linear tape open (LTO) or digital linear tape (DLT), and a disk medium such as a digital video disc (DVD), a magneto-optical disk (MO), or a magnetic disk (MD) housed in a housing.
As shown in
According to the exemplary embodiment, tapered surface 101 is formed at the corner between second side face 105 and front face 106. However, depending on the position of latch lever 306, tapered surface 101 can be formed at a corner between a surface parallel to the insertion direction into cell 300, other than second side face 105, and front face 106.
(Drive)
Drive 600 is a read/write device that reads data written in cartridge 100 loaded on drive 600, and writes data updated by an operator of a computer in cartridge 100.
Next, referring to
(1) Operation of Removing Cartridge from Cell
In the drawings, in the Y direction, Y1 indicates a direction where picker mechanism 500 approaches cell 300, and Y2 indicates a direction where picker mechanism 500 moves away from cell 300. X1 indicates a direction where accessor mechanism 400 moves from first side face 104 side of cartridge 100 to second side face 105 side including latch lever 306, and X2 indicates a direction where accessor mechanism 400 moves in an opposite direction.
In
Hereinafter, the retry operation of removing cartridge 100a from cell 300a is described.
As shown in
At this time, picker arm 521 of picker mechanism 500 is housed in picker frame 510. In the state shown in
As shown in
Thus, the retry operation is performed.
As shown in
As shown in
The pressing step and the releasing step performed only once may not be enough to move cartridge 100a to the predetermined position where it will be removed. In such a case, the pressing step and the releasing step can alternately be repeated.
When the pressing step and the releasing step are alternately repeated, in the pressing step, the amount in which accessor mechanism 400 moves in the X1 direction, i.e., the amount in which latch lever 306 is pushed open by picker mechanism 500, can be larger in proportion to the number or times that the pressing step and the releasing step are repeated. In other words, the amount in which latch lever 306 is pushed open is caused to be small, an increase in urging force of latch lever spring 307 is set small, and small vibration is applied to cell 300. Then, the vibration applied to cell 300 is gradually increased. If performing such control enables movement of cartridge 100a to the predetermined position by vibration that is generated by a small urging force, an impact force applied to latch lever 306 or cell 300 can be limited. Thus, an advantage can be provided for product durability.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
According to the exemplary embodiment, cartridge 100a is urged toward opening 305 (Y2 direction) by constant force spring 310. Thus, only a small driving force is necessary for pulling out cartridge 100a from cell 300.
The housing of cartridge 100a from cell 300a in picker frame 510 completes the removal operation of cartridge 100. After cartridge 100a has been completely pulled out from cell 300a, latch lever 306 returns to the original position from the retraction position.
As described above, according to the exemplary embodiment, performing the retry operation enables movement of the cartridge that is present in a position where the cartridge cannot be removed it is stuck in cell 300 due to friction that is exerted on the position at which the cartridge is to be removed without adding any removal device or component.
While the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment. Various changes understandable to those skilled in the art can be made in shape and details of the present invention within the scope of technical teachings of the invention.
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese patent application No. 2008-252795, filed on Sep. 30, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
- 100, 100a, 100b cartridge
- 101 tapered surface
- 102 engaging hole
- 103 rear surface
- 104 first side face
- 105 second side face
- 106 front face
- 200 magazine
- 300, 300a, 300b cell
- 301 first side face
- 302 second side face
- 303 bottom surface
- 305 opening
- 306 latch lever
- 306a end
- 307 latch lever spring
- 310 constant force spring
- 400 accessor mechanism
- 401 drive
- 457 guide rail
- 500 picker mechanism
- 501 main body
- 510 picker frame
- 521 picker arm
- 522 ejection-time releasing unit
- 530 picker drive motor
- 541 first side face
- 542 second side face
- 543 front face
- 550 sensor shaft
- A released position
- B engaged position
Claims
1. A method of removing a cartridge in a library device,
- the library device including:
- a cell that houses a plurality of cartridges in a row along a wall surface parallel to an insertion/ejection direction of the cartridges;
- a picker mechanism that moves away from the cell to remove the cartridges from the cell;
- a latch lever provided in the wall surface of the cell to be swingable between an engaged position holding the cartridges in the cell by engaging with the cartridges and a released position where the engagement with the cartridges is released; and
- an urging unit that urges the latch lever from the released position to the engaged position,
- the method comprising:
- a pressing step of pressing, by moving the picker mechanism to move the latch lever from the engaged position to the released position after the picker mechanism has abutted on the latch lever, the latch lever increasing an urging force of the urging unit; and
- a releasing step of releasing, after the pressing step, the urging force of the urging unit by moving the picker mechanism away from the cell.
2. The method of removing a cartridge according to claim 1, wherein when a sensor detecting the presence of the cartridges housed in the cell in a predetermined position and that are to be removed from the cell detects that the cartridges are not in the predetermined position, the pressing step and the releasing step are executed.
3. The method of removing a cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the pressing step and the releasing step are alternately repeated until the sensor detects that the cartridges are in the predetermined position.
4. The method of removing a cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the amount by which the picker mechanism moves to move the latch lever from the engaged position to the released position in the pressing step is increased each time that the pressing step is repeated.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 21, 2009
Publication Date: Jun 9, 2011
Patent Grant number: 8869368
Applicant: NEC PERSONAL PRODUCTS, LTD. (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo)
Inventors: Takeshi Suzuki (Shinagawa-ku), Toshimitsu Kawasaki (Shinagawa-ku)
Application Number: 13/056,018